


Two Dads Are Better Than None

by Humansunshine



Series: Pre-Canon Magnus Bane [3]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Adopted Children, Adoptive family, F/F, Historical, Magnus Bane & Ragnor Fell Friendship, Platonic Relationships, Regency Era, mlm and wlw solidarity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-18
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-05-24 23:54:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14964650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Humansunshine/pseuds/Humansunshine
Summary: Ragnor and Magnus have been living together for several years after getting their respective hearts broken. When a young lesbian on the run from the local magistrate stumbles onto their land, their lives are enriched forever.





	Two Dads Are Better Than None

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fairly light and fluffy fic, written for Alex! The prompt was this: I just want a fic about Magnus and Ragnor friendship, maybe as we are in the pride month about they going to pride. But I don't really care as it has them
> 
> I couldn't really imagine Ragnor at pride, so I wrote this instead. I hope you like it!
> 
> Only one trigger warning for this one!
> 
> Implied homophobic violence: When Caroline arrives onto the scene, she's bruised and minorly injured. It's not spelt out, but there's an implication that she was beaten for being gay.

“Remind me again why we aren’t using magic for this?” Magnus grumbled, shoving his pitchfork into the soft ground to wipe his brow. 

“Because, Junior, you need to learn that you can’t just use your magic for everything.” Ragnor insisted, grunting as he tossed another bundle of grass onto the cart. “Now hurry up, the sun’s started to go down.”

Magnus glared at him, yanking the pitchfork up and going back to work. “This is because I used a portal in front of Betty, isn’t it?”

“No,” Ragnor replied sarcastically, tying a length of string around another bundle, “what made you think that?”

“It’s not like anyone will believe her.”

“You’d better hope she doesn’t tell anyone, or the poor woman will be sent to an asylum! You could have ruined her life, Magnus!” Ragnor scolded him, his brow furrowed. “You’re such a child sometimes.” 

“She’s smarter than that, you’re not giving her enough credit. She’s your housekeeper, for God’s sake, she must have noticed that you haven’t aged in the last 30 years!” Magnus retorted. Ragnor didn’t reply, so Magnus continued ranting. “You think mundanes are so ignorant, but the truth is-”

“Shut up, Junior. Look, there.” Ragnor was pointing to the horizon, where they could see a figure tripping towards them. “We’re not expecting visitors, are we?”

Magnus squinted at the silhouette, shaking his head. “I don’t think so. I think it’s a child.” 

“A young girl,” Ragnor agreed, abandoning his work to head towards her. “Hello? I say, why are you on this land?! Are you lost, my dear?!” 

As they got closer to each other, Magnus broke into a jog, worry making his stomach flip as he saw the bruises on her face. “She’s injured!” He called, putting his hands out to her as she stumbled towards them. 

“Please, let me go, Sir, I didn’t mean any harm.” She panted, looking wildly between Ragnor and Magnus. 

“It’s alright, my dear, you’re alright.” Ragnor assured her. “You’re safe now. Come with us.” 

She shook her head, eyes brimming over with tears. “No, I can’t, they’ll find me!”

“Who’ll find you?!” Magnus asked, his hands on her elbows. She couldn’t have been more than fifteen, and she was dressed in servant’s clothes. There was a nasty cut on her forehead, and bruises all down her arms. Her eye was swelling, too. 

“The Master, he sent for the magistrate, Sir. I… I’m going to jail, Sir!” Her lower lip began to wobble, and Ragnor shushed her, shaking his head.

“I’m sure there’s been some misunderstanding. I’m a doctor, let me tend to your injuries. My home is only over the brow of this hill.” Ragnor assured her, and the girl looked over her shoulder, searching the horizon.

“We’ll keep you safe,” Magnus promised, “we won’t let them take you.”

The girl looked between the two of them, nodding quickly as she sucked her lower lip into her mouth. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It turned out that her name was Caroline. She wouldn’t say who her master was, but Ragnor did manage to ascertain that she’d been a scullery maid in a large house. 

“Worked there all my life, Sir.” She explained, “grew up serving the Master and his family. Always tried my best, Sir, I’m a good little worker.”

“I’m sure you are,” Ragnor agreed, dabbing at the cut on her forehead with some brandy. She didn’t even flinch, and that made him think that she was all too used to pain. “What about your parents?”

Caroline cast her eyes down into her lap, fiddling with the handkerchief Ragnor had given her to dry her tears. “My father was sold to another house. My mother’s dead. Pneumonia, three winters ago.”

“I’m ever so sorry, my dear. The death of a loved one is the worst thing a person can go through.” Ragnor sighed, finishing up on the cut. “There. No need for stitches, I don’t think. I’m sure it’ll be healed by morning.” 

Magnus scoffed as he came into the room holding a tea tray, and Ragnor glared at him over his shoulder. “So much for learning to do things without magic.” He muttered as he passed, setting the tray down on the table. 

“Sirs, pardon me for asking,” Caroline said quietly, tentatively taking a biscuit that Magnus offered her, “but aren’t you worried about what I did? I could be a stone cold murderer for all you know, and here you are offering me tea and biscuits.”

“We’re tougher than we look,” Magnus assured her.

“Anyone can see to look at you that you’re running in fear rather than guilt,” Ragnor shrugged, sitting back in his armchair to sip his tea. “And as Magnus says, if you did turn out to be violent, we have ways of protecting ourselves. And if you’re a thief… Well…” He looked around at the drawing room they were sat in, the ornaments and silverware around them cast in a warm orange glow from the fire, “take what you need. Lord knows I don’t need any of this tat.”

Magnus hummed in agreement, perching on the arm of Ragnor’s chair, since Caroline was sat in his own chair. Caroline looked between them, at the closeness between their bodies, as she munched on her biscuit. 

“Is there a lady of the house, Sir?”

“It’s Ragnor, my dear, and I’m afraid not. I have a housekeeper and a cook, but no wife.” Ragnor answered.

Caroline looked at Magnus inquisitively, who shook his head.

“I’ve not been so lucky.” He explained, dropping a sugar cube into his tea.

“So the two of you live here, together? And you can’t be brothers…” Caroline murmured, her shoulders easing a little. “Are you queers, Sirs?”

Magnus choked on his tea, covering his mouth as he laughed. “Of all the things I expected you to ask of us-!”

“I’m not judging, I swear I’m not!” Caroline insisted, eyes wide as she looked at Ragnor. “But you are, aren’t you?!”

Ragnor wrinkled his nose. “While I have been known to enjoy the attentions of men, Magnus is nothing more than a dear friend. We live together as neither of us has anyone else in this world.”

“I’m a dear friend,” Magnus repeated, wonder in his voice, “why, Ragnor, that’s almost affectionate!”

“Don’t get used to it,” Ragnor grumbled, elbowing Magnus off his chair.

Caroline was wringing the handkerchief now, a small, hopeful smile on her face. “I only ask, Sir, because… That’s why I was going to be arrested. Me and the Master’s daughter, we… We’re in love, Sir. And the Master caught us kissing in her chambers. So he locked me in the kitchen and went to get the magistrate, saying I must’ve forced her or something horrible like that! But I didn’t, we- she loves me, she told me she does!” 

“Oh, you poor child,” Magnus put down his tea and sat down on the arm of her chair, his hand on the top of her head. “To lose your livelihood and your love like that, all at once. I’m so sorry, Caroline.”

“People fear what they do not understand,” Ragnor murmured, looking at Caroline thoughtfully. “Well, of course we’ll protect you. No-one deserves to be punished for falling in love with a beautiful girl. You can stay here.”

Caroline looked between them, her green eyes wide and grateful. “Are you sure, Sirs? I’ll work myself to the bone, I swear I will!”

“Nonsense,” Ragnor sniffed, putting down his teacup and getting up out of the armchair. “You’ll be my ward.”

“Y-your ward? But I’m a servant, Sir.” Caroline insisted, cheeks going pink. “I can’t be the ward of a gentleman!”

Ragnor smiled. “Caroline, I have no children of my own. This house has been far too empty for far too long. I have too many bedrooms and too little laughter. This one,” he tilted his head towards Magnus, “is good company, but we do get sick of each other from time to time. Of course, if you wish to leave, we’ll make sure that you get away safely with enough money to keep you going for a while. But…” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands. “I would be honoured to take as my ward a girl with a heart pure enough to love without fear of what people will think. That heart is rare, and I promise you that I will protect you.” 

Caroline looked between Ragnor and Magnus, fiddling with the handkerchief between her fingers. “But what’s in it for you?” 

“If it would make you feel better, I could use a little help in organising the library.” Magnus volunteered, “perhaps you could help me with that little project, get to know the two of us a little better, and make your decision in a few weeks?” 

“Oh, that sounds wonderful, Sir. But I never got taught how to read.” She admitted, her eyes downcast.

Magnus shrugged, waving away her concern. “That won’t matter, I promise you.”

“And you won’t try to marry me off to a bloke?” 

“Heavens, no! Young men these days?! They’re awful creatures. I would never dream of subjecting you to such a thing!” Ragnor choked, genuinely shocked at the idea.

“We’ve both been abandoned by our people, Caroline,” Magnus told her, folding his arms. “And we promised each other that if ever we came across someone who was lost, we’d help them find their way.” 

Caroline looked at Magnus for a long moment, and set down her teacup. “Alright,” she cleared her throat, smoothing down her skirts as she got to her feet. “If you’re happy to have me, Sirs, I’m happy to be here.” 

“I do insist on one rule,” Ragnor said gravely. Caroline looked at him with uncertainty in her face. “You call me Ragnor and him Magnus. We’re equals in this house. All of us.” 

Caroline sighed smiling, and held out her hand for him to shake. “You have a deal, Ragnor.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the time Magnus came downstairs the next morning, Caroline, Ragnor and Betty were finishing their breakfast. It was pretty normal for Magnus to eat with Babs, the cook, after everyone else had finished; he was a night owl where Ragnor was an early riser. He was struck by how much more comfortable Caroline looked this morning, giggling into a napkin as Betty told her about some of Magnus and Ragnor’s more melodramatic bust-ups. 

“I’m surprised that the two of you are still friends.” Caroline shook her head, getting up to organise the dishes. 

“Oh, leave that, doll, I’ll get to it,” Betty assured her, patting her hand. Caroline smiled at her and hesitantly sat back down, messing with her skirts. 

“Morning,” Magnus greeted them, stuffing some tobacco into his pipe. “Everyone sleep well?”

“There was a barn owl in the trees outside my window. The damned thing had much to say, I’ll tell you that.” Betty tutted. 

Ragnor hummed, nodding as he dropped a sugar cube into his tea. “Mating season, I think. Soon enough you’ll have the sounds of little chicks, too.” 

“Wonderful,” Betty mumbled, picking up the plates. 

“How was your room, Caroline?” Magnus asked, taking the seat next to her. 

“It was fine. A bit, um…” She peeked at Ragnor, “it was a bit big. I know that’s a stupid thing to say, but… It was odd sleeping in a room where I couldn’t see the walls in the dark.” 

“Would you like to pick another room? There’s another six to choose from.” Magnus offered. He’d had very similar qualms when he’d come to live with Ragnor after sleeping in the doorways of capital cities. “It’s no trouble for us, really.” 

Caroline shrugged. “I think I’ll get used to it. The view from that room is nice. Even got to see the sun rise over the hill. Never had time to do that before.” 

“The view from the library at sunrise is also wonderful. I’ve often stopped to watch it if Magnus and I have been up all night researching.” Ragnor supplied. 

“Researching? Are you scientists?” 

Betty looked between Ragnor and Magnus with a vague unease on her face, while both men cleared their throats.

“I’m a chemist of sorts. I make little concoctions to relieve pain and such.” Ragnor explained.

“And I’m into, erm… Engineering?” 

“I wouldn’t quite call it engineering, Magnus.” Ragnor said pointedly through his teeth.

“I’m trying to invent an alternate means of travel.” Magnus shrugged, “that could count as engineering.” 

“They dabble in magic,” Betty told Caroline, whose eyes widened. “Just harmless little parlour tricks, with lights and such. It’s a wonder what they can do with electricity these days.” 

“Parlour tricks, exactly.” Ragnor nodded, pressing his hands together. 

Caroline leaned forwards, her elbows on the table. “Can you teach me?” 

Ragnor opened his mouth to reply, but Magnus got there first.

“Of course!” 

“Magnus-”

“It’ll impress all the pretty society girls, you know. Works every time.” Magnus told her, and Caroline grinned, giddy at the simple acceptance she’d gotten from the household.

Ragnor tutted, shaking his head. “I think it would be more productive if you taught her to read before anything else.”

“Oh,” Caroline laughed, shaking her head. “I don’t think I’m clever enough for that.”

“If Ragnor can do it, anybody can.” Magnus assured her, which made her giggle.

“I should cast you out onto the streets,” Ragnor muttered, turning his attention to his book. Magnus blew him a kiss.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Alright, it’s quite simple, really.” Magnus promised, brandishing a piece of chalk as he turned to face the blackboard in the library. “I’ll write the letters in order, and then you sort the books in order. Ragnor has them put into subjects already, so no trouble there. As you find a letter, I’ll tell you how to pronounce it and you can repeat it, and we’ll see how you remember.” 

He wrote the letters as they appeared on the books, in a printed script rather than his usual flourishing cursive. Caroline’s eyes grew wider as he went, clutching the first book in her hand. “There’s an awful lot of them!”

“Twenty six.” Magnus nodded. “And I know it’s all ridiculous and intimidating right now. I remember being just as anxious as you are. English is not my first language, and my native tongue is very different to all this. There’s no rush. We’ve got all the time in the world, alright?” 

Caroline didn’t look convinced, but nodded. “So how long did it take you to learn English?” 

“About three years, fluently,” Magnus replied. “Luckily I spoke Dutch and so did Ragnor. He taught me English, but I promise you I am a much more patient teacher.” 

“So in three years I’ll be able to read this whole book?” Caroline asked, her eyes scanning over the first page in wonder. She’d never given much thought to education; it was never an option for her. But the thought of being able to read anything she wanted, learn about anything she wanted… It was terrifying, but in a way that was exciting. 

“Oh, you’ll be reading that in about six months. After all, you can already speak and understand English. Half the battle is already won.” Magnus assured her. “So, firstly, let me show you which word we’re looking for. Every book,” he picked up another random book from the ground and brought it over to her. “Every book has a title. It’s written larger than the other words, see? Forget about that. We want the word here.”

“The second small word?” 

“Exactly. That is the author’s surname. We sort books by the author, not the title.” 

“Why?” Caroline asked.

“Well…” Magnus hummed, “I’m not really sure. One of those things.”

Caroline frowned down at the book. “So this letter?” She pointed to the ‘m’ in ‘Milton.’ “It’s the same as that one. What does it mean?” 

“Em, pronounced ‘m’. As in milk, or moustache.” 

“Do you think I could draw a moustache to remind me? Next to Em?” Caroline asked, taking the chalk from between Magnus’ fingers.

“Wonderful idea,” Magnus smiled, watching her. “You’ll make a good teacher yourself.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Ragnor? May I join you?” Caroline asked a few months later, clutching a small book to her chest. 

Ragnor glanced up from his desk, smiling fondly at her where she hovered in the doorway. “Of course. I’d love sensible company. How are you getting along with your reading?” 

Caroline walked over to the sofa that Ragnor had originally bought for Magnus to lie on and regale him with frivolous tales of society drama. She’d made it her own in the last month, coming up to sit with Ragnor in the mornings before Magnus woke and chatting with him about this and that, mostly about the books she was tentatively reading. It was rare now that she asked him what a word meant, especially now that he’d gotten her a dictionary. 

She’d settled into the manor like she’d always meant to be there, and Ragnor wondered how he and Magnus ever thought they had fulfilled lives before her arrival. She was eager to learn, her excitement at the world opened to her in the library tangible in the house. Betty had grown fond of her, and the two of them often gossiped about Ragnor and Magnus in the dining room as they set the table. She’d even taken to teasing Magnus, her wit sharp and wicked. Ragnor was stirred with pride at how much confidence she’d gained in such a short amount of time. He didn’t believe in God, but he was sure that Caroline had been sent to them somehow. She needed them, and they needed her just as much. These days, Ragnor could feel himself getting old and suspicious, but hearing Caroline talk about her hopes for the future, about all the things she was looking forward to, gave him a sense of youth that he hadn’t possessed in hundreds and hundreds of years.

“Some of these animals are bloody odd! Have you seen these giraffe things? The stuff that nightmares are made of!” Caroline opened the book to the page on giraffes, and Ragnor laughed.

“Just wait until you find ostriches.” 

Caroline looked down at the book. “It’s very interesting. I think I’d like to see these animals. As long as they couldn’t get me.”

“I’ve seen a fair few different kinds of animals in my time. Have you seen the tiger in there yet? They are fearful beasts. You should ask Magnus about the animals they have in his homeland. Now some of those… There are huge lizards, four or five foot long. Hideous creatures.” Ragnor shuddered. He hated reptiles; they reminded him too much of demons. 

“He mentioned that there were um… Rhinoceroses? The big ugly things with the horn on the nose? They sound terrifying. And he got chased by one as a boy? I don’t think I’d ever leave the house again.” 

Ragnor squinted at her. “He told you he got chased by a rhinoceros?” 

“Did he not?” Caroline gasped, throwing her book onto the sofa next to her. “Right.” She got up and pushed the sleeves of her dress up. Ragnor slowly rose from his own seat, eyebrows raised. “He’s too good at lying, I’m going to teach him a lesson.” 

“Oh, my darling, please do!” Ragnor chuckled, following her from the room as she padded downstairs, gesturing at him to be quiet. When they reached the hall, Caroline stopped and let out the most blood-curdling scream she could muster. 

Ragnor jumped out of his skin, his hands flying up to his ears, but Caroline just smirked at him, folding her arms as they heard a loud crash above. Betty and Babs arrived first, only having run from the kitchen and dining room respectively, but Caroline shushed them as they started demanding to know what had happened, all four of them turning their eyes to the stairs as Magnus came hurtling down, waving a poker in his hands. He tripped as he reached the third to last stair, and went flying, Ragnor catching him deftly before he could break his nose. His eyes were more or less glued shut, and he was only in his underwear, his chest bare.

Caroline averted her eyes pointedly as Ragnor, Betty and Babs started to laugh. “Good morning, Magnus. I apologise for the noise, I was being chased by a rhinoceros.” 

Magnus grunted, squinting up at her. “Oh, I’ll get you back for that.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The ensuing prank war lasted literal years. 

On Caroline’s twenty-first birthday, when Magnus had woken up to dozens of frogs hopping around his chambers, he insisted on calling a truce. She laughed, her head thrown back in a way that only women raised as commoners would do, and clapped her hands. 

“So I win?”

“Well…” Magnus glanced at Ragnor who nodded sternly at him. “Yes, you win, Caroline. You have bested me in this war of practical jokes.” 

Caroline hummed, and raised her teacup to him. “How graceful of you. Such a gentleman.” 

“That concession is only the first of your birthday surprises, my dear.” Ragnor told her, ringing the bell on the wall to call Babs up from the kitchen. “Magnus and I have been discussing what’s to become of you, and now that you’re an adult, we feel it’s time for you to take the reins of your own life.”

“Oh. Are you asking me to leave?” Caroline asked, her eyebrows creasing, and Magnus and Ragnor both rushed to offer her reassurances.

“Absolutely not!” Magnus insisted.

“Heavens no!” Ragnor added. “No, no, ah- Babs, come and join us.” He pulled out the chair next to him for the cook to join them.

“What’s this about? I was busy making Carol’s birthday pie.” Babs asked, wiping her hands on her apron.

Magnus and Ragnor looked at each other with barely concealed childish excitement. “The five of us are a family in a strange, non conventional way,” Ragnor started, winding his fingers together. “And I would very much like us to stay together forever. But alas, that might not be what everybody wants. So, Caroline… Where would you like your life to take you? What do you want to do?” 

Everyone looked expectantly at Caroline, who looked absolutely clueless. “Umm… I don’t… Know?”

“You don’t have to come up with a plan right now,” Magnus assured her, patting her hand. “But, Ragnor and I have some ideas, if you’d like to hear them.”

Caroline nodded, fiddling with the cover of the book she’d received from Betty for her birthday. 

“Ragnor and I are both widely travelled, as you know. And my friends in France tell me that the new regime there is very liberal in regards to people like us. It’s not illegal to love another person of your sex.” 

“It’s… Okay?” Caroline asked, her knuckles turning white where they were curled around the spine of the book. 

“Darling, we’ve talked about this. It’s okay anywhere in the world. It’s just that some governments, ours included, are frightfully despicable when it comes to this sort of thing.” Ragnor soothed, “there is, and has never been, anything wrong with you.” 

Caroline ducked her head. “So we could go to France… And there might be girls there who…”

“You’d be drowning in pretty Parisian girls!” Magnus enthused.

“And we’d all just move there? Together?” 

“Would it make you happier? To be in a place where you could court a nice girl?” Ragnor asked, tilting his head to the side. When she raised her face, Caroline’s eyes were shimmering.

“More than anything.”

“Well, that settles it!” Betty announced, putting her hands on her hips. “We are going to Paris!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“This dress looks stupid.” Caroline announced, grimacing at her reflection in the mirror.

“Nonsense, you look lovely.” Magnus assured her. He’d realised that Caroline had absolutely no dresses to wear to parties, and had picked out some clothes for her on his trip into town yesterday. The seamstress was working to fit the first dress, but Caroline wasn’t having any of it.

“I look like a meringue.”

“A beautiful meringue.” 

“Magnus-” Caroline huffed, “isn’t there something, I don’t know… Less… Poofy?”

Magnus pursed his lips. “Truth be told, I haven’t been to Paris in decades. I have no idea what the ladies here are wearing. Perhaps we should go on a little expedition, hmm?” 

“An expedition? To where?” Caroline demanded, “I could only go to the opera house in this. Magnus…” She glanced at the seamstress suspiciously, before deciding that she probably didn’t know English. After all, she’d spoken in French with Magnus. “Take me to see some girls.”

Magnus smirked, taking a deep inhale from his cigarette. “I think Ragnor is better qualified for that.” 

Caroline blanched. “Ragnor?! How on Earth…?!”

“His last partner was into men and women,” Magnus explained, “so she knew about these places, and as a result, he does too. He was very supportive of her in these things.”

“What happened to her?” Caroline asked, a sense of sadness settling in her heart at the look on Magnus’ face.

“She died. About ten years ago. That’s why the two of us started living together. He was lonely, and I was worried about him. I was hurting too. I had a relationship that went sour. We needed each other, I suppose.” Magnus mused. His cigarette was burning his fingers a little, smouldered down to the bottom, and he put it out in the ashtray next to him. 

“He never mentioned… I thought the two of you were just…” Caroline shrugged, “thought you were both celibate, I suppose.” 

Magnus shrugged. “We have been, more or less. Those trips we’ve gone on, every few months, since you came to live with us? We went to London, met up with some friends. Nothing serious, but the two of us had dear friends who we occasionally shared that kind of thing with. Romance is something that both Ragnor and I have outgrown, I’m afraid.”

“Sometimes I think the both of you must be old men in disguise, the way you talk,” Caroline chuckled, slumping with relief as the seamstress started to help her out of the dress. “It’s as if you’ve lived a whole lifetime, but you can’t be any more than forty.”

Magnus let himself out of Caroline’s room for a moment, lighting up another cigarette in the corridor. He and Ragnor had discussed at length whether they should tell Caroline the truth about themselves. Magnus wanted her to share in their world; he knew that she would still love them, that she wouldn’t be afraid. Ragnor insisted that she absolutely could not know, because the shadowhunters were looking for any reason to arrest people like them in this day and age, and telling a mundane about the shadow world was a recipe for disaster.

But how were they meant to explain to their adopted daughter that they would never age and die? She’d start noticing soon, she’d have to. Betty and Babs had never said anything, but Magnus had caught them talking about witchcraft several times. They knew, on some level, despite Ragnor keeping them in the dark. How could they not? Magnus just hoped Caroline would shrug it off as they had, though with her curious nature, he couldn’t see that happening. 

“What made you old? What happened to you?” Caroline asked as she emerged from the dressing room, back in her usual plain navy dress.

“I… I suppose I’m just an old soul,” Magnus smiled tightly, “and I’ve had my heart broken too often.” 

Caroline nodded, her eyes ever so slightly narrowed like she knew that wasn’t the whole truth. “How old are you?” 

“How old do you think I am?” He returned.

“Your face is… Perhaps thirty-eight, thirty nine. But… Your eyes? Older. When I look at you sometimes I think you must be some kind of vampire or… Creature.” 

Magnus laughed. “I swear to you that I am certainly not a vampire.” 

“Well no, of course not. Perhaps you and Ragnor are simply mad scientists, doing strange experiments to keep yourselves young.” Caroline’s eyes weren’t serious, but Magnus could sense that she was hoping he’d be honest with her.

With a quick glance around, Magnus checked that no-one was around to listen to them. “I want so badly to tell you the truth, Caroline, but Ragnor was quite clear. But I will say that Ragnor and I are a lot older than we look. That’s all I can say.” 

“I knew it.” Caroline whispered, pointing at his chest. “I knew there was something fishy going on with the two of you.”

“I hated lying to you, and Betty and Babs, right from the beginning.” Magnus confessed. “Please don’t ask me any more questions.” 

“Alright,” Caroline relented, “thank you for being honest with me, Magnus.” 

Magnus squeezed her hands. “You mean the world to us, Caroline. You know that, don’t you?” 

“And you to me,” she replied, smiling though her eyes were far away, considering theories about her adoptive fathers’ truth.

Ragnor was going to kill him, Magnus realised.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I am going to kill you!” 

“Look,” Magnus sighed, getting up from the sofa and holding out his hands. “I didn’t tell her anything incri-”

“No! I know you bloody well didn’t! But you put her in a position to ask very pertinent questions! She’s cracked it, Magnus! She’s figured it out! All of it! She even knows that Woolsey's a werewolf. She found me adding magic to a potion and that was that!” Ragnor yelled. “What the bloody hell are we meant to do now?!”

Magnus’ jaw went slack. 

“I’m not going to say anything,” Caroline promised, coming into the room with her hands tangled together behind her back. “To anybody. I don’t want to be locked away in an asylum. I just wanted to know the truth about the men who’ve given me so much. And now I know. So everything can continue as normal, except now you won’t have to hide your work.”

“You’re genuinely just… At peace with this?” Magnus asked skeptically. 

Caroline shrugged. “I’ve been processing it for months. Years, even. There’s just one thing I demand to know.” 

“What’s that?” Ragnor asked grimly. 

“How old are you both? Really?” 

Magnus and Ragnor looked at each other, and Ragnor nodded. 

“I was born in the 1640s,” Magnus told her.

“And I in the early 1200s.” 

Caroline giggled, pressing her hands to her mouth. “But that’s ridiculous! That’s… So, your strange insight into Shakespeare?” She asked, looking at Ragnor.

“Kissed him once,” Ragnor admitted, and Caroline clapped her hands. 

“I love you,” she grinned, rushing forward to hug the two of them. “Both of you. So much.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unsurprisingly for both Magnus and Ragnor, it didn’t take long for Caroline to fall helplessly in love when the three of them started frequenting Paris’ underground queer establishments. 

Her name was Amelie, and she was admittedly beautiful. She was the sole heiress to her father’s electrical company, and always dressed in men’s clothes. Caroline was gone for her from the first moment they met, sitting close to her and laughing at everything she said, twirling her hair between her fingers like a schoolgirl. 

“She’s so clever, she’s read all of the books that the Times had reviewed this year, and she plays the flute and the piano. Oh, and she said the most wonderful thing about her experience during the revolution-”

“Oh, I do hope this ends well,” Magnus muttered out of the corner of his mouth on the way home, and Ragnor grunted in response. 

Amelie came to their home several times over the next few weeks, and she and Caroline talked for hours in the drawing room, while Magnus and Ragnor made themselves scarce in order to let the two women get to know each other. Ragnor asked around about Amelie’s reputation, and he didn’t hear anything awful, so the two of them made an agreement to stay out of it until Caroline asked for their help. She was a grown woman with good instincts, and that was that.

“I want to marry her.” Caroline announced at dinner six weeks later.

Magnus froze with his fork halfway to his mouth, and Ragnor just gaped at their daughter. 

“She’s my true love.” 

“... Okay.” Ragnor said slowly, steepling his fingers. “Well, there are several snags to that, I’m afraid.”

“I know we can’t get married. But she’s wonderful, and I miss her the moment she leaves the room. I want to be around her all the time, she makes me feel so… Whole. I don’t think I was truly myself until I met her, I really don’t. She’s everything.” Caroline explained, resting her chin on her hands. “I adore her.” 

“Don’t you think this is a bit… Fast?” Magnus pressed.

Caroline’s smile turned to a frown as quick as a flash. “When a man and a woman like each other after three meetings they get married, why are we any different to them?” 

Ragnor nodded. “You’re right, of course. Have you discussed your feelings with her?” 

“Does she share them?” Magnus added, adjusting his napkin on his lap. 

“Of course! This is nothing like my old mistress, if that’s what you’re thinking. Amelie could have any girl she wanted, but she chose me. She wants us to move in together.” Caroline dragged her chair around the table to sit next to Ragnor, taking his hands in hers. “I know that I’ve taken so much from you already, I am hardly in a position to ask for anything else, but… She makes me so happy, Ragnor. Could I ask for one last thing? Your blessing?” 

Ragnor smiled at her, squeezing her hands. “You already have it, my darling.” 

Caroline’s lip wobbled, and she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. “You may have had no hand in my birth,” she sniffed, pulling back, “but you and Magnus are the best fathers that any silly servant girl could ever have prayed for.” 

“Oh, stop that.” Ragnor insisted, rubbing her shoulder. “Everything you’ve got you earned. More than earned.”

“You don’t need our approval to go for what you want,” Magnus agreed, “but you have it, if this will make you happy.” 

Caroline ran around the table to hug Magnus as well, and he found himself misting up at the thought of her leaving their home. He’d miss her terribly. But, as every parents eventually had to learn, everyone had to fly the nest at some point. As they broke apart, Magnus took her by the biceps. 

“You’ll write often, won’t you?” 

“Of course I will,” she sniffled, shaking her head. “You can come for dinner every week, and we’ll have Sunday lunch at that English pub every month, I promise. I can’t stomach french food all the time, can I?” 

The three of them laughed, and Magnus kissed her on the forehead. 

“I should go and pack.” Caroline whispered, taking Magnus’ handkerchief to wipe her face. Magnus nodded, taking the damp handkerchief back and tucking it away in his pocket. Both he and Ragnor watched her go, and the room was silent for a while. Caroline had taken her tentative excitement with her, and all that was left was a heavy sadness. The two of them finished their dinner in silence and retreated to their rooms. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, and Caroline, if anything, just grew happier. Magnus and Ragnor got to know Amelie well, glad that Caroline had been lucky enough to land someone so kind. The two of them made a beautiful couple, looking at each other with softness and adoration in every glance, every touch gentle and thoughtful. Anyone with eyes could see that they were meant for each other. 

Magnus moved out of the house just over a year after Caroline did. He’d finally cracked the portal he’d been working on for decades, which meant he could now travel over huge distances in a second. He got an apartment in Madrid, and became fast friends with a local warlock called Catarina Loss. Ragnor also threw himself into work, and was appointed as the High Warlock of London the same year that Caroline turned forty. 

Despite everything, Ragnor and Magnus always made sure they made their weekly dinners in Paris on Thursday nights.

**Author's Note:**

> I love writing pre-canon Magnus. It was strange at first, getting used to writing him without a romantic subplot to drive things, but I love chosen family storylines so much. I like the idea of Ragnor and Magnus and Caroline living together a lot.


End file.
